The Field Investigation Daniel Pearl Magnet High School Students Good Although LAUSD Trave

Losangeles United manager Ramon Cortines Tuesday clarified his staff travel banconcern news conference from the Lake Balboa Daniel pearl magnet high school students will miss Wednesday's visit to the US capital.

The ban Cortines issued last week after learning that 25 high-level district staff and administrators traveled to Milwaukee along with ex-Superintendent John Deasy for a conference “was meant for adults,” according to a statement Cortines issued Tuesday.

Upon learning Tuesday morning that his ban stood to stop seven students and two teachers from attending the conference, Cortines immediately instructed that the trip was not subject to the ban.

“All trips with students are going through the regular protocols and a review by each Educational Service Center,” Cortines stated. “Therefore, the ban does not necessarily stop previously approved trips, and especially those involving students.”

Adriana Chavira, one of two teachers accompanying Daniel Pearl High students to the Fall National High School Journalism Convention, where they will compete against some 6,000 pupils from across the nation for prizes in writing, photography and other subjects, said students were “definitely happy” to learn they would be allowed to go.

The convention starts Thursday with a keynote address by famed journalist Bob Woodward. On Saturday, the students will attend an awards ceremony, in which their newspaper, The Pearl Post, is a finalist for the National Scholastic Press Association’s Pacemaker Award.

The trip, Chavira said, had been approved before last week’s travel ban. The seven students attending raised more than $4,300 over the past few months to pay for the excursion, she said. But last weekend, Chavira said, word was passed down that it would be canceled because of the travel ban.

“They were very disappointed when I told them the trip was on hold,” Chavira said.

In an interview Monday, Cortines explained that he banned some travel and off-campus training until Jan. 30 because administrators and teachers need to understand their work is here and it’s urgent. He made the move after learning that 25 district higher-ups had gone to the Council of Great City Schools’ fall conference Oct. 22 through Oct. 26.

“I can’t imagine in good conscious how you could leave when Rome is burning,” Cortines said.

The conference took place as educators in schools and district offices were scrambling to find and fix transcripts that were inaccurate, because of the district’s disastrous new computer system, MiSiS. The rush to correct those errors came as deadlines for early applications to college approached.

In announcing his ban, Cortines also noted that requests for substitutes to step in while teachers take time away for professional development have “increased dramatically” in the past two years. The requests rose by 24 percent in October and 16 percent in September, compared with the same months last year.

He also singled out Fridays as examples of exorbitant uses of substitutes. On Oct. 17, the district received 770 requests for substitutes to take charge of classrooms from instructors who wanted to take time for professional development. This past Friday, the requests numbered 735.

“Do you know what it means for students and especially students who are struggling, if they are, or gifted students to not have their teacher there,” Cortines said Monday. “A substitute can be good, but they’re not a regular teacher, they don’t have continuity.”Source:sbsun.com